In Case You Hadn't Heard

Amazon is throwing its weight around again and All Romance Ebooks is fighting back! (The blog about what Amazon has done and info about the sale is here.) Thanks to ARe and SBTB, until Midnight Sunday, 1/31/10 all ARe books and OmniLit books are now 50% off! That's right! A company wide sale!

As a really cool note: Lori James, CEO of AllRomanceeBooks says, “We will be paying publishers based on the Full Retail price for this promotion, so the discount will not affect Publisher commissions or author royalties.”

Simply enter this code when you go to your cart and you'll see the savings!

SBTBARe1

In case you wondered, that includes my books... if you're interested, here is a direct link to them at ARe.

It also includes books by Gena Showalter, Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockman, Jennifer Crusie, Candace Havens and other NYT authors.

It's a good time to go shopping!

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Ready for Spring

Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans. ~Marcelene Cox

We had a lazy day yesterday, but I wish it wasn't so cold out -- I really want to go and walk!

I did stop by Agway and get seeds for my garden next year. I may have overdone it a bit... good thing DH wants me to expand a little. I got: burpless cucumber, summer squash, carrots, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, green beans and snow peas. I'll supplement with plants for tomatoes and peppers. I'm also going to buy seed potatoes when they are out.

Okay spring, I'M READY.

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You Are Not a Sheep

You don't follow the crowd. In fact, whenever it's possible, you try to avoid the crowd. You don't like blending in, and you are a complete rebel. Being like everyone else is boring. You are a distinct individual, and you're definitely on of a kind. People probably consider you to be quite quirky. If anything, the herd ends up following you. And you find that to be highly annoying!

Are You a Sheep?

Quirky? ME? .....

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Paying Attention to the Little Things

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~Henry Miller

Morning!

:::waves::::

I mostly had a good night's sleep, last night and feel like a new person. Yay.

It's bitterly cold here. The temps are in the teens and below AND we have these incredible gale force winds that take your breath away. My outdoor thermometer reads ZERO right now.

Brrrrrrrrr....

I was spoiled by the warm temps last week, in the 30s and 40s. Now... YUCK.

===================

I posted on Healthful & Homemade this a.m. if you're interested!

====================

My SIL asked me what toilet paper I buy (yes, we have odd conversations in this family) and I told her. Then she said, "I think my TP company shortened the rolls."

And it made me think... so I just went in and checked, and I THINK SHE'S RIGHT. I can remember (okay, don't laugh too hard at this story) when I lived with my roomie, Suz. I'm an "over the roll" gal and she was an "under the roll" and we lived in this apt where you could NOT change out the roll until it was empty, because you couldn't fit your finger between the end of the roll and the tube to push it off, so had to tear off the cardboard. Therefore, whoever finished the roll got to put the new roll on the way THEY liked it.

Yes, it was quite a competition.. lol.

BUT yesterday I was thinking about the fact that the roll used to fit the entire length of the TP roll holder tube. Mine now? Easily more than an inch is open on either side.

This is like the tuna cans being 5.9 oz now instead of 6 oz. Or ice cream being just a few ounces less than a half gallon. Have you LOOKED?

::::grumble grumble::::

The companies aren't raising prices, they're decreasing the size of things -- just by a little, so we don't really notice. But that's incredibly deceptive, don't you think?

I wonder what else has been shaved down in size? Anyone?

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You Are Totally Funky

If you were a car, you'd be one of a kind. You'd be customized from bumper to bumper. When it comes to the road of life, you throw away the map. You're curious to see where fate will take you. You are the type most likely to get lost, but you never panic. Getting lost is how you learn about new things. You believe that being on the road is an adventure. You can wait to see what your destination will be.

The Old Car Test

LOL... totally true on the "getting lost" part! Much of the rest is pretty close, too. *G*

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Second Verse, Same as the First

The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I was a yo-yo all night last night (in bed at 9, up at 11, back at midnight up at 2 a.m.), topped off by a call from my DH's work at 3:30 a.m. because something went kaplooey and he is the Kaplooey Fixer (among many other titles). I tried going back to sleep, and managed for a very short time until the cat decided it was time for breakfast.

DH and I looked at each other this a.m. and just shook our heads. He said he'd just like one night of 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Yeah, me, too.

Even so, I think I managed a higher total number of hours actually sleeping last night than I did the night before, lol...

===============

The cat isn't entirely certain she likes her new food... I think it's partly due to the consistency (I pureed it so it's really smooth). But, she's eating and not vomiting, so I call it a win.

The dog tells me that she'll happily eat whatever the cat doesn't want.

*G*

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Your True Passion is Your Family

You feel the most alive when you are with the people you love. It's really that simple. You value having family in your life to support you, and you try to support them back as much as you can. You are a loving and dependable person. And you don't just stop at your family or friends. Anyone with a good heart is welcome into your circle, and you will treat them like family too.

What's Your True Passion?

Hmmmm... yes and no....

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Tired...

Sleep is perverse as human nature,
Sleep is perverse as legislature....
So people who go to bed to sleep
Must count French premiers or sheep,
And people who ought to arise from bed
Yawn and go back to sleep instead.
~Ogden Nash, Read This Vibrant Exposé

*YAWN*

So... we had agility last night. It was good, fun and I talked at great length with the lady who owns a border collie that is very proficient. She does three different agility classes: ours, one on Sunday at the same place and one on Thursday with a different place. She also has agility equipment in her yard. The cool thing is that she lives about 90 seconds from me and invited us to come by and "play". So, once the snow is gone, we'll take her up on it.

The people in our agility class are, for the most part, really neat people. I'm glad we go there.

I crashed at around 9:30 -- late for me, but I had some work to finish before bed, and we don't get home from agility until well after 8:00 most nights. I figured DH would be home before I hit the hay. He works long hours because he does four day work weeks, but he's usually home by nine or so.

Not last night.

I went to sleep... then woke up after some time with a jolt. Looked over -- no DH in bed. Looked at the clock, it's 1:30 a.m. Yeah, that got the old heart pounding. I got up, no DH downstairs and the fire in the stove is almost out. I throw a couple logs on the few coals and get ready to call DH when his car pulls up in the driveway.

Sheesh.

He said he had meetings all day, and didn't get his work done, so stayed late to finish. That's just ridiculous. If they're going to schedule him for meetings like that, then they need to find him a little help with the work. There are days I hate that he's on salary -- the corporate excuse to work your people to death since you don't have to pay OT.

Anyway, he went straight to bed after wolfing down his warmed up dinner, but I was worried about the fire. He said there were enough coals for it to burn, but it still was worrisome, so I laid down on the couch and watched it. And waited for it to catch. And the bird call clock in the basement tweeted that it was 2 a.m. And I dozed and woke up and looked at the fire, which was glowing a little bit, but still not enough for me, so I got up, cracked the door to give it a little oxygen, sat there a bit until it really caught, laid back on the couch... and the clock tweeted 3 a.m. ... The cat curled up with me then and purred (which is a lovely white noise), and I finally slept a bit but woke up around 4 a.m. because I was stiff (I had a dog at my feet and a cat at my chest and couldn't move!), so I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep. Dozed a bit, but MAN am I dopey this morning!

I think it's going to be an early night tonight.

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You Are Colorful Because You Are Smooth

You're the type of person who can get away with anything. People always like you no matter what. You are totally irresistible. You can be as quirky, colorful, and wild as you want to be! You enjoy taking risks, and you've made a few big miscalculations over the years. You're not afraid to mess up. Your mistakes just give you character. People love that you're perfectly imperfect. You're happy with yourself, and that's all that matters.

The Colors Test

Um... yes and no...

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Win Autographed Books and more!

I realized that I haven't shared any of the contests I know about and decided to do so now. All you have to do is comment on the posts -- the links are embedded in each listing.

Win an autographed copy of the YA book, "The Ring" by Bobbie Pyron.

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Win an autographed copy of "Against Doctor's Orders" by KM Daughters -- comment on each post daily for added entries.

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Win an autographed copy of the winner's choice of one of Linore Rose Burkard's books.

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Win an autographed copy of The Father For Her Son or Baby, It's Cold Outside!" by Cindi Myers.

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Win a pair of artisan-crafted earrings as well as a $10 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press -- comment on each post daily for added entries.

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Win an autographed copy of "Curvaceous" -- comment on each post daily for added entries.

What are you waiting for? It's EASY.

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The Faster I Pedal...

.... the behinder I get.



Yesterday was one of those days that zips past and you look back and wonder what they heck you got done because you can't figure out how you just spent the fastest ten hours of your life.

I feel like I accomplished nothing. I'm sure I got SOMETHING done, lol, but it wasn't a terrifically productive day.

The cat woke me up this morning before the crack of dawn, throwing up. I think it must be the soft food. I'd run out of the stuff the vet gave me, and put her back on her old food. It's the only change... so, today, whilst I make dog food, I'm also going to make wet cat food -- it's similar (cats don't get grain/starch is all)-- and see how that settles in her tummy.

I suppose I could continue feeding her the stuff from the vet, but I have a very real issue feeding her something that has, as its first two ingredients, two kinds of grains and it's only "protein" is chicken-by-product meal (from Wikipedia: Poultry by-product meal is a high-protein commodity used as a major component in some pet foods. It is made from grinding clean, rendered parts of poultry carcasses and can contain bones, offal and undeveloped eggs and from Flint River Ranch: Animal by-products are ground, rendered, and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines ... In many cases, by-product meals are derived from "4-D" meat sources — defined as food animals that have been rejected for human consumption because they were presented to the meat packing plant as "Dead, Dying, Diseased or Disabled." ).

She prefers fish to chicken, though, so I will most likely get her some tilipia to add half and half to chicken and chicken livers (along with a few veggies). Tuna is too high in mercury to feed her on a daily basis, though sardines are also an option.

It's a good thing she's cute.

As a side note, DD and I were watching Animal Planet last night, and an ad for Meow Mix came on. At the end, their big claim as to why you should by it? "contains real chicken and fish FLAVOR" ... I turned to DD and said, "Contains real 'flavor'? Why can't they say it contains real chicken and fish?" Probably because the first two ingredients -- according to Pet Health -- are Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal -- two things your cat really can't digest and actually doesn't need for nutrition.

Okay, I'll step down off my soap box, but pet food companies make me crazy. They are unregulated and, for the most part, feed our animals stuff that may keep them alive, but isn't really good for them.

/rant

Anyway, time to start my day for real... hopefully I'll actually accomplish something today!!

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You Are Massachusetts

You are smart, serious, and quite traditional. You don't have a lot of time for junk in your life. It's likely that you're well educated and hard working. You live a very goal oriented life. You are probably socially liberal, but personally quite conservative. You would never be described as wild. But you're more diverse than people give you credit for. You're equally comfortable at a business meeting and at a rowdy sports game!

What US State Are You?

Ugh... I do NOT like Massachusetts. However, the answer is about 75% correct.

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Tuesday Talking...

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~Langston Hughes

It rained yesterday. A LOT. Buckets and buckets. I was so grateful it wasn't ice, DH was angry it wasn't snow. Had it been snow, we would have been buried! As it was, DD and Dakota were still able to go out in it -- at least in the late morning (by lunchtime it was raining FAR too heavily to go out walking).

I thought they looked adorable -- a matched set:



What's most amazing about the rain we had is that the snow is all but gone! Look behind DD and Dd ... see all that snow? The edges are still there, but the part that is lawn is now down to the grass. It's driving Dakota nuts -- she prefers to go potty on snow, and she's really having to search for spots to go! I only wish this was the end of winter, but it will undoubtedly snow again, and probably quite soon. This rain was an anomaly.

DD is feeling much, much improved. It's amazing how quickly she's bouncing back to normal! I want to be a kid again...

She made two of her custom pairs of earrings over the weekend, but still needs to make both bracelets, which are far more time consuming. Hopefully she'll have time to do that this weekend. It's amazing how much more time school takes this year than it did in years past, and I don't imagine that's going to change as time goes on.

I posted on Healthful & Homemade on how to tell if something is actually food. I'd love it if you gave it a quick read!

Now, I got up early to write, so I'm off to do just that. Have a great day!

You Love to Talk About Current Events

You are an admitted news and political junkie. You pride yourself on knowing what's going on in the world. You prefer to talk with people who are equally up on current events. You think there are a lot of important things to discuss. You get bored easily, and you prefer to always be discussing new things with your friends. You feel like it's easy to get in a conversation rut. You are the type most likely to bring up new and interesting topics of conversation. You always have something fascinating to talk about.

What Do You Love to Talk About?

Yep.. that's about right -- though I don't really discuss politics and news here, it's a BIG part of me IRL.

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Monday, Monday, Yay

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

So far, so good this morning.

Let me backtrack... DD caught my cold and started feeling punky on Friday. Yesterday was her worst day, the "over the hump" day where you feel like dog-doo, but know that it's all going to better after if you can just make it through. I broke down and gave her night time cold meds last night so she can sleep (I'm not a proponent of medication, but I usually do ONE night of these, on the worst night because, yanno... sleep is good). This morning she got up and, though she was still coughing and her nose is still stuffy, she was smiling. She feels MUCH better.

That's good thing #1.

We were supposed to have a massive rain/ice storm overnight. The type of precipitation depended on when it started. As of right now, it hasn't even begun... yay! This means when it does get here, it should definitely be RAIN and not ice.

Good thing #2.

So.. yeah, bay-bee... Monday is working out for me so far. What about you?

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You Are a Cirrus Cloud

You're a bit mysterious and reserved. You mostly keep to yourself and do your own thing. Some people may even consider you allusive. You're hard to track down at times. People who know you find you to be very transparent. It's always easy to tell what you're thinking about. You tend to drift more than most people. You're always trying out new ideas, friends, and even personalities.

What Kind of Cloud Are You?

Hmmm.... maybe 50/50?

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The Quest to Do Nothing

I watched some of "Office Space" and became inspired by his quest to do nothing. (If you haven't watched this movie, and if you've ever worked in a corporate environment, you need to).

So today, I'm taking the day off.





See you on Monday, glorious Monday.

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It's Saturday

The cat does not offer services. The cat offers itself. Of course he wants care and shelter. You don't buy love for nothing. Like all pure creatures, cats are practical. ~William S. Burroughs

Mary sent this to me last night -- I think it's just perfect, don't you?



Anyway, the cat spent all day sleeping ... she didn't even want to eat, which surprised me. Fact is, she didn't eat for two days!! This a.m., I scooped out a pile of her canned "bland diet" and thought I'd let her eat whatever she wanted since her appetite has been off.

Her appetite isn't off anymore. I finally had to wrest the bowl from her against her VERY loud protestations.

She's back, sleeping in front of the fire. Life as we know it is back to normal.

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It's warming up here. I may even take a nice long walk today as long as the wind doesn't kick up. It's in the low 40s and feels like summer. They're calling for rain here tomorrow night, and I hope they are right, because it's a LOT of rain -- and about an hour north of us has a forcast for "a massive ice storm". I really, REALLY don't want a "massive ice storm".

I think there should be two kinds of precipitation: rain and snow. That other stuff shouldn't be allowed.

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You Are Mittens

You seek comfort in your life. You want to feel as warm and cozy as possible. You are naturally nurturing and caring. And you always make sure to take care of yourself! Winter is your time to hibernate. You love to curl up on a cold night, even if everyone else is going out. And when you do venture out of the house, you bundle up. You want to feel as warm as possible.

Are You Gloves or Mittens?

Yeah.. that's about right.

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Update on Breeann

I just got back from picking the cat up from the vet. They did x-rays, ran blood tests on her kidney, liver and pancreas enzymes to see if they were elevated, did a physical exam, etc., and there is apparently nothing wrong with her. No tumors, no blockages, no elevated temperatures... nothing. In fact, her kidney enzymes are BETTER than they were during her annual exam over the summer (when they told me it appeared she was in the first stages of kidney failure). I've been treating her holistically, so I guess that is working, which is good.

In the meantime, several hundred dollars, a sleepless night and a lot of worry later, I apparently had a cat with a really, really bad case of heartburn. She's on antacids and bland food.

Thanks so much for your kind thoughts and caring hearts.

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Written the Night Before

“The cat has too much spirit to have no heart” - Ernest Menaul

Hey all... I'm setting this up to post, because I don't know if I'll have the time or inclination to post in the morning.



My cat, Breeann, is pretty sick. She's been vomiting the past few days -- only a little though, until today. Today, she's not eating, only drinking and then vomiting after. I called the vet right before they closed, and they said to take up her water and that I could bring her in to stay there overnight, but because she's still active and alert, that it could probably wait until the morning.

But folks, she has many of the symptoms of kidney failure. And it breaks my heart.

So, I'm going to bring her in tomorrow and let them draw blood and urine samples and see what's what. In the mean time, all positive thoughts are prayers are appreciated. She's an old lady, and I know that she'll go eventually, but I'd prefer it wasn't today.

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Looking Out From Between My Fingers

I willingly trust myself to chance. I let my thoughts wander, I digress, not only sitting at my work, but all day long, all night even. It often happens that a sentence suddenly runs through my head before I go to bed, or when I am unable to sleep, and I get up again and write it down. ~ Simone de Beauvoir

The weather cleared up for a couple of hours yesterday -- just enough to lull me into a false sense of anticipation and excitement. SUN! SUN! WOOT!...

And then, at about two o'clock, DD calls down from the schoolroom: "Are we still going to agility?"

I look up from my computer. "Yeah? Why?" ... and I then realize it's gotten really dark. And I peek outside from between my fingers, the horror before worse than any slasher flick made.

Snow.

I almost cried.

Thankfully, by the time agility was over, it was clear out. The stars were shining, the tiny sliver moon glowed and made the snow look almost pretty.

Today, it's *supposed* to be clear and sunny. :::fingers crossed:::

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I've been thinking big lately, considering what kind of novel I could write to submit to one of the print pubs like Dorchester, who publishes, in their contemporary line, the following:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: Fun and whimsical, these books should showcase your sense of humor and focus on a modern couple in a zany situation.

Some examples of their books that I've read and completely enjoyed are:




So... I've been doing a lot of "what-if-ing". For MY stuff, it's typically, "What is the funniest/silliest/goofiest or most unexpected thing that could happen now?"

And I allow myself to think completely outside the box. Maybe it's nothing that folks imagine would happen IRL, but that's okay.

It's been a hoot, and I have a great idea for the novel I want to write. Even better, I think I can tie it in as a prequel of sorts to my Camilla story, and possibly even another completed novel I have ... making it the beginning of a series.

I'm still editing Stiller Creek with an eye toward Harlequin, AND I'm brainstorming a short story for Samhain and one for WRP. And, yes, I'm actually making time to write.

So, I'm excited.

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FYI, I was asked how I felt in comments yesterday. I'm much improved, though I'm hitting the "everything loosen up" phase, so there is much coughing and running for the tissue box. Even so, I'm so close to well I might as well be.

And, even better: no one else in the house got sick! YAY!

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You Are a Burger

You are a down to earth person and a straight shooter. You don't fall for fads or trends. You are stable and a bit old fashioned. Tradition and loyalty are important to you. You are a good friend and you like to have a good time. You find it easy to kick back. You're not one to make waves in life. You're happy just to be a part of the fun.

What Kind of Fast Food Are You?

Yep... mostly right...

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Snow, Snow Go Away....

Panic at the thought of doing a thing is a challenge to do it. ~Henry S. Haskins

It's still snowing. I am so utterly demoralized by this weather... *sigh*.

I don't like to drive in the snow. I'm nervous, and that makes me unsafe. You see -- I didn't used to be that way, until my mom and I made a trip from Colorado to California one December for a friend's wedding. We drove I-80, thinking it would be a nice, easy highway trip. They'd keep highways clear, right?

Well, folks, I-80 is a truck route. Lots and lots and lots of semis travel this highway, and it made my life hell. I was in a Toyota pickup with nothing in the bed, the highway was solidly packed with snow and ice, and every time a big truck blew past me (going 60 or 70 MPH), my truck would wobble from the powerful gust of wind.

Finally, once it did more than wobble. The butt end swung back and forth, back and forth until I was doing 360s across the highway and there was nothing I could do but hold on for the ride and pray.

Thankfully, I didn't hit anyone on my trip to the side of the road. I did, however, slide right down the embankment, a drop of a few feet. Thankfully, the truck stayed upright. Thankfully, too, this hadn't happened earlier or further down the road where the drop-offs were FAR more severe.

It was, without a doubt, the scariest thing that had every happened to me. Once we managed to get back on the road (we loaded the bed with snow for weight and then -- yahoo, praise God for four wheel drive -- drove back onto the highway), my mom drove for a while because I was such a wreck.

We hit California (Tahoe area) at night. The roads were shiny, and though they were only wet, I was so certain they were icy that I stopped every couple of miles, pulled over, got out and touched the ground to see. I lost all confidence in driving the snow after that.

As a side note, we went home via I-70. The roads weren't any better, but at least there weren't crazy truck drivers blowing past us as we crept along.

So, I've been housebound since Sunday morning. And I'm losing my mind. Not to mention I have a book due at the library that I can't renew, I'm out of orange juice and fresh fruit, the dog has agility class tonight ...

If it would just STOP SNOWING.

======================

I posted on Healthful & Homemade this morning, if you're interested.

======================

You Are a Giraffe

You are down to earth and realistic. You are able to see far off into the horizon. You bring a lot of perspective to other's lives. You are never too myopic. You are honest to a fault. You tend to tell it how it is, even if someone isn't ready to hear it. You are very down to earth and practical. You prioritize what matters in your life, and you don't waste your time.

What African Animal Are You?

Hmmm.... pretty close!

===================

Fun in the Snow

My idea of superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors. ~Bette Midler

I don't like snow. However, I'm in the minority at my house. Yesterday, DD and Dd played outside for hours. After dumping about a foot of heavy, wet snow on us, the sun came out -- it was so warm, DD played outside in her snowbibs and a windbreaker, and was still sweating.

Poor Dakota gathers snowballs in her fur something fierce, though, and we make her lie in front of the stove to thaw. Check it out (this CAN'T be comfortable):






I stayed in and did chores all day. Something about having DH home makes me want to clean. So... I swept and vacuumed, did laundry, made dog food, washed dishes (three times), dusted ... you get the idea. Today, though, I have GOT to get caught up on computer stuff (I didn't blog hop, didn't write, didn't do any but the most important work at LASR/WC ... I am BEHIND).

On that note, I will simply say: Have an awesome day :-)

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You Are Unique Because You're Bold

Unlike most people, you're willing to say or do whatever you feel like. You don't try to go along to get along. If you think you're right, you'll hold your ground. You are rare in that you are completely fearless. No one intimidates you. Like a snowflake, you follow your own path. You fly solo, and you like it that way!

The Snowflake Test

Hmmmm.... mostly...

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Happy Birthday Breeann

My DD reminded me that today is our cat, Breeann's, SIXTEENTH birthday -- she's quite an old lady!



Happy birthday, Breeann!

Snow Day

“Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway."” - Maya Angelou


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

So... it snowed last night and is still snowing as I write this. In a good news/bad news scenario, it didn't snow as much as they'd predicted (upwards of 12 inches) but it still snowed enough to keep DH home from work. I really wanted to get back to my routine. It's been a tough weekend.

The dog, OTOH, loves the snow. She went out this morning for potty and just ran back and forth, back and forth, using her nose as a plow. Dogs are so funny. I think anyone who is depressed should get one.


see more dog and puppy pictures

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DD got two custom jewelry orders this weekend. One was for two sets of this bracelet (as Valentines Day gifts):



And a matching pair of earrings that I don't have a picture of.

And another was a request for these earrings, and for her to make a matching bracelet:



And, she got another order from someone for earrings, but I can't say who or what, because they are for someone who occasionally reads my blog and I don't want to give the game away.

=========================

So, I met Ceri yesterday. It was fun -- for us. Not so much for our kids who came along. She brought her two daughters, and I brought mine. And the three of them sat at a table and literally said not ONE word the entire time. DD said, "We just stared at the floor."

Clearly I need to make up a list of conversation starters....

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You Are Acrophobia

You are the fear of heights. It's likely that you expect bad things to happen to you. You often feel unlucky. It would be just your luck to fall from a high spot... and you're not going to chance it. You tend to be pretty risk adverse. You rather be safe than sorry.

What Phobia Are You?

I am risk adverse, actually. I don't think that's a bad thing...

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Sunday Yay

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair. ~Samuel Johnson

Okay, I think yesterday was officially my worst day with the cold -- I feel like I'm over the hump. I'm still stuffy, etc., but I don't FEEL as cruddy this morning. This is especially good because...

... I get to meet Ceri today! Yay!

We've been gabbing online since she found me during my first NaNo in ... 2005, I think. And considering she only lives about 20 miles away, it's really about time. LOL...

As long as she doesn't mind that I look like Rudolph. I've gone through TWO full big boxes of Puffs in the last three days.

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As a testament to how warm it got here (it's been in the 40s the past two days -- I, of course, have felt too icky to enjoy it and get out and walk), I have a house fly in my house. In January. Bizarre.

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You are a Dreamer

You tend to have your head in the clouds. You love to be drawn in to a whole other world. You are a sensitive person. You find it easy to be emotionally effected by books. You are a person with a few deep interests. If you're drawn to something, you learn everything about it. You are a person who loves to acquire possessions. You can't resist a sale, and you own a lot of things.

The Book Test

And... about 75% wrong, lol...

=============================

I Got Nuthin'

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. ~Bill Watterson

No news today -- all the same. And, I'm still feeling under the weather, so am thinking now that I've got my LASR/WC pages up, I might go back to bed. In fact, had I not had to get them up, I wouldn't have been up at all... I'm tired. Blech. These are the days I really wish I had someone else who could do my job there. *sigh*

I did watch the new "Bones" last night. Does anyone else think it's ... icky... about Angela and Wendell? From the first kiss, I kinda went... ewww.... And Hodgins is breaking my heart. I'm not pleased with that storyline at all. Just saying.

I did love the "I won't tell anyone about the scream, if you don't tell anyone about the gun." line ... very cute. I'm glad they're letting Bones loosen up a smidge.

Okay, I'm waking up. Guess I won't go back to bed :-)

DD is discouraged that DistinctivelyDD is not selling out of her earrings on a weekly basis, lol. I'm wracking my brains trying to think of things to do to get her store out there more. I might even see if the local Agway would carry her stuff in their "New Hampshire" store. Maybe not, but it doesn't hurt to ask... and if they won't carry her stuff, maybe I could leave some business cards there. I need to find more time to see how to interact on Artfire. There are forums and stuff that help.

In the meantime, she's still trying to save up for a Nook. I told her I'd buy the cover, but she has to buy the Nook. She's about 1/3 of the way there (thanks to a friend who sent her a Barnes & Noble GC for Christmas). Yesterday, she cleaned house with me to earn a few dollars. And then, she made me a book of coupons that are actually invoices -- $1 to sweep the floor, $2 to clean out the pantry, etc. I have to admit, this is the most determined I've ever seen her. She's not one to hold on to her money ... so for her to not have spent any in the last few months is amazing.

She mentioned buying the Nook to my SIL who told her the idea was stupid. She didn't understand why you wouldn't just buy books instead. DD was very sad when she told me ... she frequently gets conflicting information from my in-laws about stuff. I told DD that the fact is, right now? She has NO more room on her bookcase. So, if she wants more books, she has to get rid of some. With a Nook, she'll never run out of room. AND, she'll have thousands of books at her fingertips.

Speaking of a Nook, I did find one drawback: when you don't pay attention to your battery level and forget to recharge when it's low, and then you read a book and get to a really exciting scene and... run out of juice. That happened to me last night. I should have known. I can't remember the last time I charged the thing. I'm such a dork. And, yes, other than that (which was really operator error), I still love the Nook.

Guess I do have something to say :-)

DH always says I never have trouble talking. However, that's it for now. Happy Saturday!

=========================

You Are Fabulously Friendly

You're nice to everyone you come across, even if they aren't being particularly nice to you. You genuinely like others. You love your friends, and you're happiest when you're a social butterfly. You always have a smile, joke, or kind word for someone. You're kind to everyone, even if they aren't very friendly back. You are simply a people person. You naturally make friends with almost everyone you meet.

What Makes You Fabulous?

Uh.. no. Not even close! LOL...

===============

I Haz a Bug

I reckon being ill as one of the great pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill and is not obliged to work till one is better. ~Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Tired today... didn't sleep well last night. Sore throat, stuffy nose... blech. I hate being sick. DD and I have perfected air hugs and kisses though, lol.

Started TiVoing "Leverage". Everyone seems to like it, so I'm going to give it a go. I've caught up on all the old episodes of "Bones", so needed something new.

You know what makes me crazy? This new way TV works. Four episodes in a "season", and then a LONG break. Then four more episodes. Drives me wonky. And, if it wasn't for the fact that I have TiVo, I'd never know when anything was on. By the time it's back, I've all but forgotten it. For instance, "Warehouse 13" has been off for months... how can you gain a strong viewership that way?

:::shrugs:::

========================

You Are Passionate and Driven

You have a clear vision of what you want, and nothing is going to stop you from getting it. You are very confident and even a bit brash. You don't allow any self-doubt into your life. You like to push limits. You're very curious to see how far you can get in all aspects of your life. You are never satisfied. Once you achieve a goal, you set another one. You are constantly striving.

The Orchid Test

Yep... that's about right, lol...

=======================

Thursday Things

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist. ~Franklin P. Jones

Yesterday was better, as far as runaway negative emotions go (thank HEAVENS), but unfortunately, it seems as if I'm getting sick. :-(

I have a really, really sore throat. No congestion yet, but I'm hoping I only have a cold because this throat thing? Pretty bad. *sigh* I'm usually the LAST one in the family to get sick, not the first.

Ah well...

I went to WalMart yesterday to buy sunglasses (I have to wear the old lady "fits over" sunglasses because I can't wear contacts and don't want to shell out the money for a pair of prescription sunglasses and WalMart is the only carrier of the fit over kind here). I sat on mine -- which really makes me angry at myself because when I tossed them on the car seat I thought, "I'm going to sit on those if I'm not careful." and sure enough, as I RAN through the bitter ("real feel" -3) wind and cold from the library to the car, I jumped in without looking and CRACK.

In any case, I walked in for sunglasses and walked out with a cartload of stuff. Amazing how that happens. The good thing was I found a pair of hiking boots for DD (she's almost wearing the same size shoe as me!). Her snowboots broke and she had nothing else to wear except sneakers, which in several inches of snow, just won't work. I couldn't find snowboots (the stores already have out their summer clothes, go figure), so she'll have to wear my older pair when she's playing outside, but at least now she's not shoeless. It's painful to buy stuff for her now because she's wearing adult sizes and the PRICES. I wouldn't mind if she wasn't going to grow out of them in five minutes, but ...

We're expecting a heat wave soon -- temps possibly into the 40s! I can NOT wait. The weather guys had better not be wrong (I know, they're NEVER wrong *snort*).

And that is my day, such as it is.

Anything exciting in your neck of the woods?

=======================

You Are More Like Audrey Hepburn

You are classy, stylish, and charming. You are the true definition of grace. Some people may think you're a pushover, but they have no idea how tough you can be. You tend to draw people in with your mind. You are an intelligent and witty flirt. You are effortlessly gorgeous and naturally appealing. No one would accuse you of trying too hard.

Are You More Marilyn or Audrey?

YAY, because -- AUDREY HEPBURN... wowza, yanno? Who cares if they're right...

====================

No Good Very Bad Day

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. ~Dale Carnegie

Was I the only one who had a really horrifically no good very bad day yesterday? Was there a full moon? A strange alignment of the planets? Oy vey. Here's hoping today will be better...

A cry for help from my LASR/WC biz partner, Judy:

The Long and the Short of It: LASR /WC/ Aurora is looking for readers who would be interested in helping us decide which short stories to run on our site. If you love to read and would like to help us out with this, please send an email to lasreviews at gmail dot com. Please let us know if you would rather read LASR (non-erotic), WC (erotic romance), or Aurora (YA/MG) short story submissions.

Thanks.

Judy
http://www.longandshortreviews.com
"Reviewing Romance One Happy Ever After at a Time"

When I finish up this blog, I'm going to post over on my Healthful and Homemade blog about my adventure with making wheat thins. Unless you're here immediately after posting this, it should be up and running.

Really, that's all I have. I think I'm still in a bit of a daze from all the emotional craziness (both IRL and online) that I dealt with yesterday. Can you have an emotion hangover?

Happy Hump Day!

=======================

You Are Amaretto Hot Chocolate

You are a person with well developed tastes. You are adventurous in all aspects of your life. You tend to gravitate toward the unusual or undiscovered. You get bored very easily. You're the type most likely to never have the same hot chocolate twice. You like to mix it up. In fact, you've been known to go a little crazy with the condiments at the coffee shop. Cinnamon and honey in hot chocolate? Why not?

What Flavor Hot Chocolate Are You?

LOL...this couldn't be more wrong!

====================

Tired of the Cold

Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail. ~Proverb

Is it April yet? I have to admit I'm really, really tired of the bitter cold (mostly the wind... the cold, I could deal with, but the wind makes it unbearable). I HATE not being able to go for my walks outside and, what's worse, is that it's really starting to affect my joints -- my legs and hips are really achy. I try walking in circles around the inside of the house, and up and down the stairs, but it just isn't the same.

*sigh*

I swear, if anything ever happened to DH, I'd move to Arizona. Or maybe Hawaii. Aruba?

I am NOT a winter person.

It's showing on the dog, as well. She went in for her annual check-up yesterday and has put on EIGHT pounds. That's sixteen percent of her body weight. That would be like me putting on nearly thirty pounds! She's still not fat, but it's not good. Clearly SHE is also missing our nice long walks we used to take on a daily basis.

:-(

=============================

My birthday lunch yesterday was wonderful. We went for Tex-Mex and I had the portabella mushroom fajitas. Mmmmmmmm.... better, I discovered that if I order the steamed veggies as a side, it's the SAME veggies they use on their veggie fajitas. So yesterday, I mixed it all together, and took half home for dinner :-)

Our lovely server (it was a man... can I call him lovely?) even brought the birthday dessert without singing to me. Yay. DD and I did our best, but ended up leaving half of the brownie ala mode behind.

Today.... the diet begins (for me AND the dog *G*).

==============================

You Should Stay Warm by Bundling Up

You are a rational and logical person. You are good at solving problems. So if you're cold, it makes sense to just put another layer on. You are very practical that way. You are rarely unprepared in life. You would never forget your gloves and hat on a cold day. You're ready for anything that comes your way. By being responsible, you find it easy to relax and enjoy life.

How Should You Stay Warm?

They got all that because I hate winter? Really? It's oddly close... weird.

==========================

One Year Older

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. ~Jennifer Yane

In childhood, we yearn to be grown-ups. In old age, we yearn to be kids. It just seems that all would be wonderful if we didn't have to celebrate our birthdays in chronological order. ~Robert Brault

Today is my 43rd birthday.

Forty. Three.

I don't know why, but this year the number is bothering me a bit... 30 didn't bother me, 40 didn't bother me, but 43 seems ... old.

I'm sure I'll get over it soon. After all, how different am I today than yesterday, really? Next year, I'll look back and think, "What was the big deal?"

To celebrate, I'm bringing a stool sample from Dakota to my vet. Yep, that's right, I really know how to party hearty. And Dakota has her annual everything done, too -- exam, shots, the drops in her nose, the works. It could be worse -- my neighbor and birthday buddy, Sue, has to bring her dog in to the vet for an ultrasound to check out a mass behind her eye (and to decide whether or not the eye has to be removed). I'll take a routine vet visit over that. Sue, if you're reading: I'm thinking about you!

My date night with DH was an early celebration (I'm still full from that dinner), and today, DD and I will go out for lunch somewhere (I'm leaning toward Mexican, but haven't decided yet) as well. I think I'm going to buy myself a pair of Crocs for my present (and, no, DH doesn't ever buy me anything -- he just says, "Get whatever you want." Good thing I'm sensible, or things could get a little crazy!).

In any case, that's my day :-)

What do you typically do to celebrate YOUR birthday?

=========================

You Are a Guru

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world. You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm. Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche. Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done. Your strength: Your inner peace Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds Your power color: Emerald Your power symbol: Leaf Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Man.... I totally missed my power month. Actually, November is my worst month -- DH takes the entire thing off, and it really messes with my schedule!

=================

The Day After the Night Before

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

Well... DH and I got our date out last night. We went to TGI Friday's (we had a gift card *G*). I haven't been there in years. It was good -- the food was good, we talked and talked (without little pitcher's ears for a change). I'm glad we got to go. I did give DH a lecture about judging people, though. Our waitress had one arm that was completely tattooed and my oh-so-conservative DH said something to me about that. I gave him a nudge about looking at the inside, not at the outside (something we tell our DD all the time -- as an aside, Disney is actually a pretty good example of this, since the wicked queen is usually quite beautiful). She was a fabulous server, nice, fun and attentive.

Yesterday, my cat woke me up a 3:51 a.m. which didn't make me terrifically happy. She's been very good lately about letting me sleep until 5 a.m., so this was an anomaly. Since Sunday is the only day of the week I can sleep until whenever, though, I opted to lock her up in the basement last night.

This morning? Oh man, did she give me what for. She's a very vocal cat anyway, but she yowled and grumbled and yowled and grumble all the way up the stairs and into the kitchen. Clearly she was NOT pleased.

DH is staying home today to spend some time with DD. He was invited to go snowmobiling, but we had a talk about getting to know his DD and having a daddy/daughter date with her. Now... I think he's going to take her snowmobiling out back, so he still gets to play a little, but he's making an effort and I'm very pleased.

It looks like the wind has died down a little here, too (:::fingers crossed:::), so I may be able to take Dakota for a nice long walk as well. It's amazing how warm 18 degrees feels when it's not joined by 45 mph winds.

=======================

You Are a Vanilla Latte

Each day you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the world... even before you've had coffee! You have amazing energy and stamina. You love to work hard and enjoy your rewards. You are friendly and popular. People love you more than they even realize. Your fresh, laid back, and happy attitude always makes things a little sweeter.

What Flavor Latte Are You?

Ha.. uh... no, not really.

==========================

Who Needs a Title?

"The easiest kind of relationship is with ten thousand people, the hardest is with one." - Joan Baez

I can't even think of a clever or informational title... so you get my generic one.

I finally finished getting the two big groups at LASR/WC migrated to Google Groups yesterday. I have to tell you... I really, really LIKE Google Groups. It took a little getting used to because humans really are creatures of habit and it's been all Yahoo Groups, all the time, but Google is really tidy. The only drawback I found was that they don't have the kind of documents saving ability as Yahoo -- but for folks who don't need that, I think Google Groups is the way to go. And, heck, they appear to be virus free.

I've spent the last two days in Yahoo group's files and databases where most of the viruses have hit, and wasn't getting any. I started thinking that maybe Yahoo had finally fixed things. But then, last night, WHAMM-O!!, my virus protections stuff all lit up while I was in files. So, yeah, it was time to go.

So, if you're looking for a place to host a group, I can happily recommend Google Groups.

===========================

It snowed yesterday, all day. Again. To be honest, I wouldn't mind the snow so much, or even the cold, if it wasn't so FREAKING windy all the time. I can handle snow and cold in moderation, I'd even be able to get out and take my walks if it wasn't for the gale force winds we seem to be having on a daily basis. I swear, my rear is expanding by the minute.

Is it March yet?

===========================

DD made a chain mail bracelet yesterday and then made a pair of earrings using jump rings that are just gorgeous! I can't wait to get them up on her store. I got another 8 or so earrings posted yesterday, but I still have a pile to load. I wish she could do it, but I don't give her a lot of freedom on the computer. Mostly she visits Bella Sara and PopTropica. *G*

============================

DH are trying to organize a date night tonight. It's a massive ordeal, mostly because we need someone to watch DD and we just don't have THAT many options. I *think* my SIL is going to watch her, but I have to confirm it this a.m. I told DH that it's been forever since we've actually just sat down together and talked. He works ridiculous hours during the week, and on the weekends he needs to decompress, so he usually goes away to do something like snowmobiling (which I hate and isn't really conducive to conversation anyway). We'll see if it pans out. There are days I feel like I don't even know him anymore...

=============================

You Need Structure in Your Life

You take comfort in your routine, and any deviation from it makes you feel quite nervous. You like things to be structured and decided. You want to know what's going to happen. The unknown makes you very nervous. If you know something is going to happen, at least you can prepare for it. You like to have a plan A, a plan B, and if possible, plans C and D. Even if you can't plan for everything, you try!

How Much Structure Do You Need?

Absolutely true!

==========================

Brain Dead

"It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized.” — J. W. Goethe


see more dog and puppy pictures

Spent the bulk of yesterday migrating one of the LASR reviewer groups onto Google Groups. Oy. Copying the database, making a note of anniversary dates so that I can give kudos and gifts to the folks who stick it out with us, inviting the members ... it was crazy, to say the least. And today I need to to the other two groups!

I did find the time to get my hair cut again... This time it's a LOT shorter than last time. I didn't want it *quite* this short, but I think it will work better curly at this length. We'll see the next time I wash it. For now, I had the stylist straighten it again. DD has her hair cut, too, and lots of curls put in. She looks so cute! Lately she's been wearing her hair in a headband and putting on the lip gloss she got at Christmas which has just a hint of color in it, and she looks so grown-up. Makes me want to fold her up and put her away somewhere!

RE: Dogs attacking Dakota. For some reason, this happens a lot -- she must have a vibe. The schnauzer at the end of the road (that is a nasty-tempered little dog anyway) dislikes Dakota fiercely and has nipped her on several occasions. I am happy to say that Dakota stood up for herself the last time, not biting, but growling and barking at him, something I've never seen her do. Granted she was hiding behind my legs at the time, but even so, it was a proud moment.

We have a miniature Australian Shepherd in class who likes to "herd" Dakota, and since Dakota loves to run, it's a perfect fit. However, there is another dog in there (a rescue that looks like a Golden Retriever, Husky, German Shepherd mix) who has a problem with excited dogs, so whenever the herding/running starts, she has to break it up. Poor Dakota always ends up on the floor, on her back in a bit of a daze, while the other two more alpha dogs take each other on.

And she was bitten by the Weimaraner on our street when she was a puppy -- he actually grabbed her by the skin on her back and tossed her.

What amazes me about all of this is that Dakota never thinks any dog is going to hurt her. She's not dog shy AT ALL, and even with dogs that have attacked her before (except the shar pei I mentioned yesterday -- he makes her uneasy), she's not in the least bit worried about running right back up to them. It's the oddest thing.

It's supposed to snow today. Oh. Joy.

I hear the orange crops are freezing in Florida. :-(

And now, I'm off to work on migrating group number two and fixing all the problems with group number one -- we're still missing about half our members! All fun, all the time.

===================

You Are Crayons

You've always had a creative, artistic streak - even when you were a kid. You were the type of child who could spend hours with a box of crayons or markers. Even now as an adult, colors and design matter to you. You are probably very fashionable and stylish. Maybe you even dabble in the arts from time to time. You certainly still have the talent.

What Childhood Toy Are You?

You are probably very fashionable and stylish ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...no.

============================

2000

"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired." — Robert Strauss

Today is my 2000th post. Who knew I had so much to say? 2000... it boggles the mind. My first blog post went up on July 10, 2005.

Two. Thousand. Five.

I'm trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I've been doing this for nearly five years. Time really does fly, because it feels nowhere near that long. Amazing.

Anyway... moving on...

Yesterday was not a stellar day -- it wasn't awful, just not fab. One of my reviewers at LASR/WC had her computer fried by a virus that's been hitting us intermittently at the Yahoo group we use. It's a nasty one, the same one that fried my mom's computer. The worst thing about it is that it looks like a pop up box for your virus scan, but if you click it? Be prepared for the blue screen of death. FYI, my mom picked hers up at a major news site, and my SIL got one at another different, major site, so it's not restricted to Yahoo.

Here's the scoop: if you're out on the net and a gray box pops up and says that it's detected a virus and you need to click for a scan -- DON'T. Don't even click the "X" to close the box. Don't do ANYTHING. What I do is close my laptop, pull the plug and the battery and then put them all back and reboot ... and then run a virus scan from my own software. I have one reviewer who, when she gets that pop-up, closes IE (or Firefox... can't remember which she uses) and then shuts her computer down, reboots and runs a scan.

The big thing is this: DO NOT CLICK ON THE BOX IN ANY WAY.

/end service announcement

The other not-so-stellar moment was when I hopped into my car/SUV/whatever-it-is, affectionately known as The Pea, turned the key and heard: rurururururur... click, click, click...

*sigh*

Thankfully, the click-clicking means the starter is okay. And DH came home and declared the battery dead. And I'm grateful that it happened at home and not 50 miles from home, and that we have a third vehicle (the truck he uses to haul his boat), so I was able to run errands (even though I really don't like to drive the truck... it's so BIG). But, even so... we just got the blasted vehicle. I wasn't happy to have that happen.

The dog that bit Dakota at our last agility competition arrived at our agility class last night with a big shaved spot on his rump and shaved forelegs. When I asked what happened, I was told that he'd gotten bitten. I probably didn't endear myself to the owner when I said, "Ah, he took on someone who fought back this time, huh?"

I just get really frustrated, though. For whatever reason, his dog acts as though Dakota has a target on her. He hasn't hurt her again, but whenever he's off leash, he runs for her and takes her down, and then will stand over her and if she moves in the least will go for her again. She's the only dog I've ever met who is 100% submissive -- even Bailey, who was a sweetheart, had a little bit of a spine. Dakota doesn't have so much as one alpha gene in her body. Our class is full of alpha dogs, and she doesn't always know what to do with them, but this dog is the only one who forces her to submit to him completely. She knows what to do to keep herself safe... she rolls over on her back and holds totally still, and that seems to satisfy him, but ARGH.

And then, DD had math questions again (why is it always math? Why doesn't she have language questions???) and I was, once again, stymied. As always, it was something I could figure out myself, but not the way THEY wanted her to figure it out. Took me a good 45 minutes to understand how to do it the way they wanted it done (it's finding percentage increase/decrease) and I was about to tear my hair out. We got it, though, but MAN ... every time this happens I'm reminded how different things are now than they were when I was in school.

So that was my day... how was yours? Anything good, fun or interesting you'd like to share?

=======================

You Are a Pen

You are a very precise and detail oriented person. You don't make many mistakes. You're the type who can risk writing in pen. You like making things permanent. You are decisive and focused. You know what you want, and you go after it. You like to be in control, and you don't really care for change. You like to count on yourself.

Are You a Pen or a Pencil?

Ahhhh... yep. That's me.

==============================

Dogs and Cats

Women and cats do as they please, and men and dogs had best learn to live with it. - unknown


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The relationship between my cat (Breeann) and my dog (Dakota) is both laugh-out-loud funny and a little sad.

Dakota just wants to be friends and she tries SO hard to prove to the cat that she's a great critter to hang out with. Last night (and I wish I'd had my camera next to me) the cat was lying on the rug by the wood stove (pretty much where she spends all day, every day in the winter) and Dakota came slithering over. She laid as flat as she could on her belly and extended her nose until it just barely touched part of Breeann. And then she stopped moving, except for her tail, which wagged and wagged and wagged.

The cat wanted nothing of it. She gave Dakota the most disdainful look, and when the look didn't warn the dog off, she gave a good swat to Dakota's nose. Dakota didn't even flinch. She rolled onto her side, pushed her nose closer and wagged some more.

The cat finally gave up and stalked away, tail in the air. And now, in retrospect, I wonder if being friends was what Dakota really wanted, because as soon as the cat moved, the dog curled up on the rug in front of the wood stove!

She may be smarter than we give her credit for. It was a bloodless coup.

============================

You Are Falling

Sometimes things in your life feel completely out of control. You get overwhelmed. Like everyone else you have a fear of failure... just like falling in a nightmare. You may need more balance in your life. Take time to take care of yourself. And learn to go with the flow a little bit more. Falling can feel exciting if you let it!

What Nightmare Are You?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Actually, most of my bad dreams involve being chased by something scary. I wonder what that means?

======================

No More Vacations

"In times like these it is good to remember that there have always been times like these." — Paul Harvey

So, yesterday was a a day that perfectly illustrated how NOT to use time efficiently.

First, I was up nice and early, went to upload the LASR/WC pages and had my problem with images not loading. So, I futzed and I putzed and I messed -- for THREE hours -- and then discovered it wasn't something I could fix anyway because it had to do with how the graphics were created.

Scratch working on my editing for my JaNoWriMo project in the morning.

Then, all day long, DD would NOT sit and do school for more than about ten minutes at a time. It was "MOM" this and "MOM" that and "Can you find my science book?" (this search took more than an hour) and "I don't WANT to do my report on Clara Barton, can I do it on the universe?" (the answer was "no" because it's supposed to be a research report and she is an astronomy freak, so wouldn't have to research much of anything ... we compromised, and she's doing it on the person who discovered pulsars), and "How do I find 7% of $2450?" (which she knew, but .... )

I hate vacations sometimes, because getting back into the groove is so hard.

Hopefully today will be better. So far, so good -- the LASR/WC pages went up without a hitch!

How was your first Monday of 2010?

=======================

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few days. You have an amazingly strong work ethic. You are likely to be very successful in life. You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing. Your biggest worry in your life is your health. You tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac. When it comes time to relax, you have difficulty relaxing. You are a bit high strung.

The Snow Test

Except for the health part, it's pretty dang close. I'm ridiculously healthy, so certainly not a hypochondriac, lol...

==================

Okay... It's MONDAY

The time just before dawn contains the most energy of all hours of the day. This has helped me become an early riser and an early doer.... When I wake to see that it's light out already, I feel like the world has started without me. ~Adabella Radici

Okay... got the problem with the sites fixed (yay) and I'm ready to face the day. Nothing like wasting three hours of time working on a problem that you can't fix by yourself (it ended up being a problem with how the graphics were created... and once Judy was up and online, we figured it out in a matter of minutes).

It's back to the grind today. DH grumbled on his way out the door to work, DD woke up grumbling about school and homework and reports. Me? I wouldn't have grumbled at all if the site had gone up smoothly because I LOVE MONDAY.

I'm glad today is sunny and relatively warm (it's supposed to be in the mid-30s). I'm tired of shoveling snow. If you keep in mind that we had pretty much NO snow left after the recent rains we'd gone through, you'll see why I'm sore and tired. Check out the piles on my lawn NOW. And, yes, DD and I shoveled it all.



I updated DistinctivelyDD with about 10 more pairs of earrings and a couple of bracelets. I have about 20 more to add -- hopefully today. I told her I wanted 100 items on the shop, so she worked like crazy during her Christmas vacation. There are some really gorgeous ones on there, but these were a couple of my faves:




Now... gotta go drink my yogurt and blueberry smoothie and get back to work. Have an awesome day!

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Your 1920's Name is: Queenie Mozelle

You're the Bee's Knees

What's Your 1920's Name?

I AM the bee's knees.. how did they know?

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